I’m sorry you’re in so much pain! I haven’t had a period in two years due to preg and BF, but I DO remember how awful mine were. Here is the scoop if you want my 2 cents.
The birth control pill is morally objectionable even if your intention in taking it is pain control and not birth control. The pill still works as an abortifacient and if you are having sex with your husband at all while taking the pill, that is a very real possibility. That is why the church forbids it among other reasons. What the church teaches IS what God and Jesus teach.
Have hope though. There are other options out there. First start by finding a doctor that is sympathetic to your Catholic beliefs and who will go the distance for you in finding a cure instead of taking the easy way out and prescribing you a medication that goes against church teaching. Maybe try explaining it at length to this one and see what he says. Second, I have just heard of a medicine called Lupron Depot that apparently eases the symptoms you describe while not being a contraceptive of any kind. I would ask your doctor about that and see what you both can come up with.
My advice is to come off the pill right away, and talk to your doctor and priest. God will provide you with help and relief if you follow his teachings and trust in Him. God’s Peace -J

Birth control pills are known to cause heart attack, stroke, breast cancer, vascular problems, liver problems, cerebral hemorrhage and numerous other less serious yet debilitating side effects like migranes, weight gain, edema, nervousness, and depression. I could go on and on. It is an extreme risk to take these pills and no doctor will tell you this. Read the insert of any one of these packages of pills and it’s like reading a small dictionary. Taking these pills ARE taking a gamble with your health. Although I don’t know that much about Lupron at all, it sounds as if it is comparably less dangerous. You have a great task ahead of you in researching the alternatives to birth control pills and hysterectomy, but just think of it as a detective case you are trying to solve!

Make sure to look at your diet first and foremost. Are you eating a lot of processed foods with dyes and sugar? Are you eating a variety of fruits and vegetables? Do you take time for exercise like walking or running and time for relaxation like a hot bath or prayer? Attending to these things first has been shown to significatly decrease women’t discomfort and in many cases send it into remission.

I know this must be so stressful for you, but just know you have numerous other options than what a doctor tells you. They are trained from one perspective only and that is to treat an illness in a way that suits most people. And you are not most people, you are you – and your church rightly advises against a pill that harms women and aborts babies. I know you can find an alternative to THAT! Please don’t be down. Take it to our Lord in prayer. He is our physician and our healer. Lean on Him now more than ever and ask Him to show you the right path. Study what His church teaches through His Holy Spirit and know that Jesus guides His bride the church.

Try to find some contact info. I heard this Dr. speak on EWTN and there ARE pro-life options out there for you… I heard her talk about this new thing being tried eith good results for endometreosis. It’s some sort of local medication injection, not oral med. that is at a lower dose but has great results. Look into it. You can also type your zip code in to find the nearest doctor registered w/the organization. Even if they end up being long distance, you could call ones of those dr.s for advice.

Hello Bb,
I too agree, find another Doctor! Your present physician is not “fully understanding” your wishes. Call if you can, American Life League, they are a pro-life organization who will be able to “guide” you in the right direction and hopefully you will be able to find a Catholic doctor in your area.
Pray to Our Blessed Mother at all times. Don’t despair! Offer your sufferings for the poor souls in Purgatory! They need your prayers and
they are praying for you too.

Evaluation and Treatment Programs
In addition to providing general obstetrics and gynecology and gynecologic surgery, the expertise of the National Center for Women’s Health specializes in the provision of care for patients with the following conditions:

Telephone Consultation Appointments
The registered nurses provide a service for people who have questions that they would like to ask Dr. Hilgers and his staff. You may schedule a 15-minute consultation appointment with a nurse (at no cost to you other than the phone call). If the nurse is unable to answer your question, she will consult with the physician and will then provide you with the answers.

Dear Nancy,
I feel so bad for you. I highly recoomend reading “Fertility Cycles and Nutrition” by Marilyn M. Shannon. It is published by the Couple to Couple League, a Catholic organization that promotes and teaching NFP. The book is only 204 pages and very readable. The ISBN is 0-926412-09-4. I’m sure you could get it from Amazon, but check your local libaray too. You never know. I agree with everyone else that you should think about finding a new doctor. You might even try finding a nurse midwife. I think they would probably be able to recommend doctors whose first inclination is NOT to operate.
Good luck and many, many prayers,

I am facing the same issue.
I need a hyst.
Although we would like more kids I have come to the realazation that I just am not able to.
I have tons of damage and scar tissue from bad c-sections.
I went and talked with my priest and he told me that because it is a health issue that it is not against the church.
I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone…
I will be praying for your physical and emotional well being.

Please, please take the advise of others here and find a Doctor that will at the very least appreciate your Catholic beliefs. I was told I needed a hyst. 10 years ago. I had one son who was 5.5 at the time. We were not going to have more children, first one scared us and my faith was not strong enough to help me through the mess. They said decide now if you even want to try for more children. This was after bc pill treatment and Lupron treatment. The plan that was set before me was IF I could get pregnant again (they said my chances were slim to none) I would have a C-section (again) and hyst. at the same time. Through the Grace of God I did decide to have one more, got pregnant within weeks of going off the Lupron treatment (not months or never as they suggested) went in to discuss the C-section etc. and she told me at that point to “wait and see” that sometimes when you get pregnant it will put the endo. dorment thus getting rid of the pain. I was angry and asked her why she had not told me that before and only presented me with the hyst. option. She said she did not want women to go out and get pregnant just to see if that would “cure” them… like telling a woman “decide now or never” to more children is so much better, huh?

Anyway, In my case it did help stop the pain (although I understand your case is different) and I have learned much and I have 4 children with one more on the way. I have never had to deal with the endo again – of course if I ever have more than two or three cycles between children that might be a different story. I am very fertile which she told me I’d never be because of how spread out the endo leisions are.

My main point – I think a Dr. that understood the Catholic faith or at least the idea that there are ppl out there with different views on bc pills etc. might have handled things differently. Especially if I had been more assertive or even knowledgable on the teachings of the Church.

Sorry so long. Your post drew me to sign up just so I could answer… I hope it helps.
Maxine